Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: How to Hook Baek A-rin, Daughter of the Snow Mountain Clan
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A new goal had appeared.
[Hidden Tutorial: Cure Kim Ma-ri's mana incompatibility state.]
[Reward: ???]
'Curing Kim Ma-ri...'
Mana incompatibility was a kind of constitutional flaw.
There was no known cure.
It was an incurable disease.
More than that, people didn't look kindly on those with mana incompatibility.
In the world of Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy, human worth was determined and discriminated against based on skillbooks.
'So of course, those with mana incompatibility—who can't use skills at all—aren't viewed favorably.'
Even those suffering from it were few and far between.
It wasn't profitable, and there was little social prestige to gain.
So no company was eager to dive into research on it.
So what was the solution?
'The Snow Mountain Clan is the only option.'
In Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy's Korea, the Snow Mountain Clan was a major powerhouse rivaling the Inferno Clan.
They were number one in the industry for medical research facilities.
The plan was to get close to Snow Mountain Clan's Chairman Baek Ho-yun.
And today would create that perfect opportunity.
A leisurely weekday morning.
Seoul Children's Park.
The faint scent of cherry blossoms heralded the arrival of spring.
"Nice view."
Cherry blossom viewing was great.
You could pack your own lunch, and all you needed was a bench for a spot.
Unlike amusement parks that just burned through your wallet.
The magnificent scenery of unspoiled nature.
A perfect form of entertainment that cost absolutely nothing.
'About time.'
Glancing at his watch, he had two hours left.
He'd gotten a bit lost in the flower viewing, but he hadn't come just to enjoy the scenery.
This place was his goldmine today.
First.
Even if you'd passed the academy entrance exam, you weren't officially a hunter until after the entrance ceremony.
Meaning you couldn't legally hunt monsters in gate-opened dungeons.
In Awakening, some professors imposed strict conditions even for auditing their lectures.
'Professor Sin So-ah might be lenient, but auditing Professor Kang Geom-seon's class is impossible at my current level.'
To meet those conditions today, he'd need to encounter a monster.
How?
The starting point of Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy.
From the moment Lee Seong-hyeon regressed, anomalous gate phenomena began increasing in this world.
Gates that, unlike normal ones, spat out monsters the instant they formed.
An anomalous gate would appear in this park today.
'Unlike regular gates, the location and timing are unpredictable...'
Which meant running into a monster here was pure coincidence!
Fate!
Destiny!
Kismet!
Killing a monster here wouldn't be illegal at all.
'On the contrary, it'd be a shining example for a prospective National Seoul Hunter Academy student.'
Damn right.
Second.
Today, he'd figure out exactly how the blank page worked.
And above all, the fundamental reason he'd come here today.
Third.
Baek A-rin, daughter of Baek Ho-yun and one of the characters in Awakening.
Her little sister, Baek Yu-ri, was fated to die in this park today.
Lee Seong-hyeon witnessed the scene but had never once saved her in all his regressions.
Instead, he used the mentally shattered Baek A-rin and then discarded her.
It was only a brief mention, but it had stuck with him—a forehead-slapping revelation about the guy's true character.
"I'll use that in her place."
If he saved Baek Yu-ri, he'd naturally get close to Baek A-rin.
Baek Ho-yun was a cold-blooded man without a drop of familial pity when it came to the Snow Mountain Clan.
That's why he'd make Baek A-rin come begging to him first.
Even stake her heir position on pushing him forward.
'And I can screw over Lee Seong-hyeon in the process. One stone, several birds... how many, exactly?'
At that moment, a scream echoed from nearby.
"Kyaaah! M-Mon... Monster!"
Already?
His watch still pointed toward 9 a.m.
'Baek Yu-ri's attack is supposed to be at 10...'
Had his presence altered the timeline?
He bolted toward the screams.
There, a young woman in a suit lay fallen, her high heel snapped.
'Not Baek Yu-ri?'
Emerging from the gate: a beast the size of a large dog, with razor-sharp teeth, blood-red eyes, and a massive horn on its head.
A horned rabbit.
"H-Help... me!"
She reached out toward him desperately.
"Haa..."
An ordinary person with zero skill training couldn't fight a monster.
The Baek sisters weren't even in sight yet anyway...
He drew the dagger from his belt and hurled it straight at the horned rabbit's eye.
Kyaak-!
In that instant, the horned rabbit's gaze shifted to him.
Just one horned rabbit.
A grown man with consistent skill training could handle it easily.
'Can't use Dark Screen with the cooldown in mind.'
The horned rabbit charged, horn lowered.
[Poor Strike]
Kang-!
His attack struck the horn dead-on, ringing out clearly.
The horned rabbit staggered and collapsed.
'Horned rabbits' horns are their weak point.'
A bizarre structure linking the horn to the magic stone.
A strong impact to the horn caused it to pass out.
'And yeah, it's definitely faster now.'
LV. 3 [Poor Strike].
It was noticeably more usable than before.
"Thank you! You must be a hunter..."
The woman picked up her fallen glasses, put them on, and looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"What are you doing? Run, now. And call the police if you can."
"A-Ah, yes!"
"Wait, hold on. Give me your business card first."
"Pardon?"
"Your business card."
She handed him her card and fled, clutching her broken high heel.
[National Seoul Hunter Academy, 5th Library Librarian]
"That was her, huh."
He'd saved her, so he might as well get compensated.
'Alright, time to test the blank page mechanics.'
He stabbed the neck of the stunned horned rabbit, ending its life.
Ugh, the blood...
At that moment, blue light shimmered before his eyes, text appearing.
[Extracting skill imprinted on the horned rabbit's soul.]
[1 skill available for selection.]
[D-Grade]
□ Skill: Bunny Hop LV. 1
□ Effect: Wish upon the universe, and hop like a bunny.
Agility bonus +3.
Acquire the skill?
YES / NO
...This was a skill?
Kang Hwa-yeon had [Inferno], Lee Seong-hyeon had [Chain of Judgment], and this was Bunny Hop?
And "wish upon the universe"? What cult nonsense was that?
YES / NO
The selection window pressed in like it was demanding he choose.
"As if I'd take this crap..."
He reached for NO, of course.
Then a girl's voice rang out from afar.
"Whoaaa-"
A child who'd run without looking tripped right in front of a horned rabbit.
"R-Rabbit?"
She froze, staring at its massive bulk.
"Baek Yu-ri?"
?
No, it was still only 9...
His watch now edged toward 10.
A flurry of thoughts raced through his mind in that split second.
Could he dash over and save her now?
No way—she'd already be gone by then.
Use Dark Screen...?
4.3-second cast time—she'd be dead 100% before it finished.
Baek A-rin would save her.
No chance. She was too far.
More importantly, Baek A-rin had never succeeded in saving her in 8 regressions!
Shit.
One idea flashed by.
The horned rabbit had already locked onto Baek Yu-ri as an enemy.
This was the only feasible option left.
'For real...'
Cost-benefit analysis complete.
No choice now—he'd drain Baek A-rin down to her very bones.
YES / NO
YES.
[Bunny Hop skill recorded in the blank page.]
[Acquired Bunny Hop LV. 1.]
[Skill Details]
□ Skill Name: Bunny Hop LV. 1
□ Grade: D
□ Skill Effect
: Wish upon the universe, and hop like a bunny.
: Agility bonus +3.
He let out a howl and activated Bunny Hop, closing the distance to Baek Yu-ri.
"Shit, you precious little shit!!!!!"
His body launched like it'd been flung.
'Fuck, no brakes on this?!'
In the fleeting moment brushing past the horned rabbit.
He didn't miss it, swinging his dagger with all his might.
[Poor Strike]
Kyaaaaak-!
The dagger sliced through the horned rabbit's throat.
His momentum carried him tumbling across the ground several times.
"Haa... haa..."
How long had it been since his injury, and he was already like this.
But more importantly.
My precious!
My light!
My salt!
My precious!
The fact that an indelible mark was now etched into the blank page.
'Fuck... take good care of her, Baek A-rin...'
Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes.
That was when.
"Are you okay?!"
A girl came running.
White hair like fresh snow,
Serene white eyes sparkling delicately.
A heroine reminiscent of a cold winter.
Baek A-rin.
'You've arrived.'
His body screamed like it was shattering.
Pain so intense he couldn't stand alone.
But he couldn't let it show.
From now on, Baek A-rin had to mistake him for a 'true powerhouse.'
No, he had to make her think that.
Until she was so desperate for him she'd claw it out of her own throat.
'This moment is that first page.'
Acting unfazed, he brushed off his shoulders, stood tall, and smiled at Baek A-rin.
"This much is nothing."